“We are well aware that similar massacres occurred in many Azerbaijani settlements before Khojaly. These events were part of a policy rooted in ethnic hatred that had been planned at the time. However, the Khojaly tragedy was the largest in scale, as 613 innocent people — most of them civilians — lost their lives in a single night,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told journalists.

“Today, we are discussing the peace process. The whole world has witnessed the decisive steps taken by the Azerbaijani Army, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, to restore Azerbaijani lands and uphold our rights and historical justice. Leadership and all initiatives in the peace process have been undertaken by the Azerbaijani state. Serious progress is being made, and important results are already visible.

“At the same time, we must never forget our history. These current processes are extremely important, but as always, the Azerbaijani people commemorate our martyrs with deep respect,” the minister added.